Gill drawing frame



Aprifi 28, 142. w, HQLDSWQRTH 2,281,240

GILL DRAWING FRAME Filed Feb. 24,..1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I

./ INVENTOR' WILL/E HOLDJWOPTH.

BY NEY ATT April 1942- w. HOLDSWORTH I 2,281,240

GILL DRAWING FRAME Filed Feb; 24, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR WILL/E HOADSWOQTH.

AT ORNEY Patented Apr. 28, 1942 UETED STATES TENT OFFICE 11 Claims.

This invention is directed to gill drawing frames or the like and to improvements in traversing and controlling gill bars or fallers, which act to control and parallelize the fibers passing through the drawing rolls of the machine.

In accordance with my concept, I provide novel faller bars and novel propulsion means for moving the faller bars in their operative cycle. The improvements are applicable for use in a single or an intersecting unit, or as an improvement to the porcupine rolls now extensively used for the control of fibers. My novel faller bars and manner of withdrawing them from the working portion of their cycles results in fiber control which compares favorably with all prior art devices, including the intersecting units. Each of the faller bars may carry two opposed sets or rows of needles or pins which are alternately active and inactive during successive passages through the working portion of the cycle. Their return movement is occasioned by means acting on only the end faller in succession in the series to traverse the taller by an end to end pushing action. The return movement may effect ejection of the forward faller bar, injection of the rearward faller bar, and partial rotation of the bar to alternately present the two sets of needles to the stock.

Return guides for the fallers greatly reduce the complexity and the number of parts heretofore considered necessary to efiect the traversal of the faller from the end to the beginning of the working portion of its cycle of movement. The return guides preferably have a lead rearwardly of the front drawing-01f rolls, which together with the shape of the faller bars, permit a reduction of the pitch or distance between the two forward sets of needles as the forward set is being withdrawn. It will thus be seen that fiber control is improved near the nip of the front rollers, and that the pitch may be reduced at this point to that attained by intersecting units without the cost inherent in the duplication of parts.

The sides of the faller bars may be inclined and they extend upwardly and downwardly beyond the points of the faller pins. During the return stroke these sides move in the return guides. The faller bars are of substantial height and when lying in their end to end position only a few are required to fill the guide.

An object of the invention is to provide a gilling unit in which the needle supporting members are successively pushed end to end from the end of their working stroke to the beginning.

Another object is to provide a faller bar having two sets of controlling needles adapted for alternate use.

Another object is to provide a fiber control and parallelizing unit comprising a common ejection and injection means for the faller bars to remove them from and present them to the working portion of their cycle.

Another object is to provide means to reduce the pitch of the sets of faller pins nearest the drawing-off rollers.

Another object is to provide a gill drawing unit with a reduced number of moving parts.

Another object is to provide faller or gill bar return guides which will partially rotate the fallers by passage along the return guides.

Another object is to provide a means for withdrawing faller bars downwardly and rearwardly of the stock.

Another object is to provide a faller bar including the pins which is formed from plastics.

Another object is to devise means for continuously advancing the faller bars while withdrawing the foremost faller bar and while reducing the needle pitch near the nip of the drawing-off rolls.

Another object is to provide means to confine the faller bars as they move through their active or working position.

Another object is to provide an ejecting means which will prevent backlash and jamming of the faller bars.

Another object is to spring press the end faller bar prior to and during a portion of its ejection movement.

Another object is to provide a series of faller bars each of which will successively serve as a support for the initial faller bar in fiber controlling position.

Another object is to provide means for intermittently advancing the faller bars during their return stroke.

These and other objects of invention will be manifest from a consideration of the following description, claims and attached drawings, in which:

Fig. I is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of my gill drafting mechanism.

Fig. II is an elevational view partly in section of the mechanism of Fig. I.

Fig. III is an end view of the unit in elevation, with parts broken away to more clearly show the structure.

Figs. IV and V are elevational and sectional views, respectively, of my improved faller bar.

Figs. VI and VII are face and end views, respectively, of the ejecting and confining element.

Fig. VIII is a detail assembly View, partly in section, of one of the pair of return guides and attached parts.

Figs. IX and X illustrate successive positions and operations of the ejecting means on the faller bars.

Referring to the drawings which are an illustration of a preferred embodiment of my invention, and not intended to be limiting, Figs. I and II show a frame ii! on which the unit is mounted.

The untwisted stock, not shown, moves from left to right (Fig. I) through the pair of con ventional corrugated or other draft rolls H and.

i2 secured to shafts i3 and I4, which are rotatably mounted in bearings such as I5, integral or fixed to the frame I0. Bearings l6 support shafts l7 and IS with their rolls [9, and 2G. The rolls l9 and 2l rotate at a higher speedthan rolls l l and I2 and hence the stock is subjected to draft as it moves through the two pairs of rolls.

The gilling unit may conveniently be driven at the desired rate by spiral gear 2! connected with a suitable source of power. This gear 2i fixed on shaft 22, which is journalled in bracket 23, secured to the underside of frame Iii, transmits power through spiral gear 24, which is pinned to or integral with spur gear 25, and spur gears 25, 25, 21 and 28. The gears 25, 25 and 26 are rotatably mounted on screw studs 29 and 35, and the gears 21 and 28 are fixed as at 3| to the steel shafts 32 and 33, respectively. The shafts 32 and 33 are rotatably supported in bronze bearings 34 and 35, which are fixed on the upright companion and exact counterpart members 36 and 3'! by securing means 38, see Fig. II.

On opposite ends of the bushings 34 and and fixed to the shafts 32 and 33 is a pair of faller propulsion cams 39 and 40 and ejecting means 4i and 52, which cooperate with the faller propulsion cams to confine and to control the faller bars 43 as they are pushed through their fiber control stroke.

The faller bars 53 are of novel construction and arepreferably inclined, as illustrated in Figs. IV and V.

Projections M extend on both sides of the vertical control pins to a point beyond the tips of the pins in order that thefaller bars may be pushed end to end (Fig. II) without the pins of one faller bar being injured by the pins or other parts of another faller bar. The pins may extend from both the top and bottom of the portion 45 interconnecting the projections 44 and a single set may contain a plurality of rows of pins if desired. Each faller bar has sidewise extensions 41, which may be flattened on their tops, bottoms and sides and which are successively engaged by the propulsion cams 39 and 40 and ejecting means 4! and 42, as will be more fully set forth.

The pitch or effective pushing distance of the propulsion cams 39 and G5 is preferably equal to the thickness of a faller bar, although it may be greater if desired. The peripheral length of these cams may conveniently be about 380 and the forward overlapping sections may be substantially flat or straight as illustrated.

The preferred inclination for the faller bars is such that a vertical straight line will pass through the rearward top and forward bottom intersection of the parallelogram formedby the top,

parts permits closely positioning the faller pins relative to the drawing-off rolls, which positioning is very important.

It will be clearly seen from Fig. II that the cams 39 and 45 project into a recess in the companion members 35 and 31, the forward portion of which is cut away to accommodate the rotatable ejecting means M and 42. Each upright member is secured to the frame N], as at 43, and is joined by a spacing member 49, which may serve as a support for the faller bars 43. I prefer to cut away the sides of the members 36 and 31 and insert wear plates 55, which are suitably secured in position. The rearward recess and cut away forward portions of the companion members38 and 3! are connected by return guides 52 bottom, front and rear. This proportionment of 7'5 and 54, which are cut into the members. The frame I0 and spacer 53 separate the members intermediate their tops and bottoms in such a way that the projections 44- of the faller bars enter the return guides 52 and, 54 near the end of their working stroke. The faller bars are ejected from the return guides and presented to fiber control position in engagement with propulsion cams 39 and 45 to be pushed along the wear plates 55 as they leave the return guides. The forward ends of members 35 and 31 are higherthan wear, plates 55,, and fixed thereto and extending upwardly, inside the ejecting. means, are the leaf springs 55 and 55, which contact the faller bars as they approach the end of their working movement and continue to exert pressure and exercise control on the series of faller bars until the faller with which they are engaged passes downwardly and laterally into the control of the return guides 52'and 54, wherein they are pushed end to end.

As hereinbefore stated, Fig. VIII, the forward ends of the members 36 and Marc higher than the wear plates 55. This provision is made to effect guide control of the faller bars before they are entirely out of alignment with the rest of the faller bars inworking position. The leaf springs 55 and 55, mountedon members 35 and 31,. respectively, and inwardly of the pair of ejecting means 4! and 42, prevent any pivotal action of the faller bars in the short period after they leave the wear plates 50 and counteract any tendency of the stock being worked from pulling the faller bars forward.

The return-guides. 52,and 54 are necessarily somewhat wider than the thickness. or pitch of the faller bars 53,. which enables them to be pushed end to end therethrough. It is to be understood that theprojections 44 on the faller bars 43 contact the return guide surfaces and that the faller bars are partially rotated by the return guides, as they move therealongzwith the result that each set of pins 45 is alternately presented.

to Working position for propulsion movement through the active portion of the cycle.

The. companion and counterpart members 36 and 31 are cut away as at 5'! to form a guide and support for the squared sidewise extensions 4'! of the faller bars. Fixed and hardened members 58 and 59, overhanging the rearward end of the cam guides, act as a stop. for the incoming faller bar and, together with cut away portion 51, constitute a guide for the extensions .4! as the faller bars move along during fiber control. The members 58 'and,59 are tapered at the bottom near the rearward endto conform with the shape of the recessso as to permit rotation of the. propulsion. cams 39 and .45., .The inside. surfaces of members 53 and 59 are also bevelled so as not to present a square corner or shoulder to the comparatively sharp edge of the incoming faller bar.

The companion cams 39 and 4B conveniently comprise a short screw of slightly more than one turn. In the illustrated embodiment the projections 41 of the incoming faller bar move upwardly and forwardly between the overlapping portions of the thread of the cam. In this way a continuous pushing movement is given to the series of faller bars in working position and the propulsion cams engage the incoming faller bars as soon as they are in alignment. A complete rotation of the shafts 32 and 33 will advance the faller bars a distance equal to their thickness.

In my prior Patent #1,673,l07, I have illustrated and described a push cam cooperating with a plurality of faller bars arranged in abutting relationship with their sides in contacting engagement, together with a transferring member which moves the faller bar out of stock contacting position and into engagement with a continuously driven screw. According to the present improvements, the ejecting means may constitute the means for propelling the faller bars on their return stroke, as well as injecting a new faller bar into fiber controlling position. It will thus be seen that I have substantially simplified and reduced the number of working and movable parts of the comparatively simple mechanism of the patent. If a propulsion cam designed to operate on two or more faller bars per revolution, as in the patent, is used the ejecting means may also be changed to have a plurality of recesses and projections of the type hereinafter more fully described.

The ejecting means, Figs. VI and V11, comprise rotatable members which are fixed to the shafts 32 and 33 and which are mounted in synchronized arrangement with the propulsion cams 39 and 4B. The cam surfaces 65! engage the sidewise extensions M of the faller bars and, together with the cam surface of cams 39 and M3, confine the series of faller bars and prevent undesirable looseness. In other words, the cam surface Bii coincides substantially with the pitch or inclination of the propulsion cam and only a running tolerance is continually maintained.

After the faller bars 33 advance beyond the wear plates 51! they extend over the forward open end of the return guides, at which time they are engaged by the recess portions ti and moved downwardly and rearwardly into the return guides. The inclination of the faller bars permits this movement, even when the faller bars are in contacting relationship as in the illustrated em- Q bodiment, and this movement effects a drawin together of the two sets of pins which are nearest the drawing-ofi rollers l9 and 2B. As the rotatable ejecting means ii and 42 are turned from the position illustrated in Fig. IX to that illustrated in Fig. X the foremost faller bar 46 is depressed or moved downwardly into the return guides 52. Due to the forward inclination of the sides of the faller bars (it the rearward face of the foremost faller bar slides along the forward inclined face of the next adjacent faller bar whereby the foremost faller bar moves rearwardly with respect to the next adjacent or following falier bar. In other words, any point on the foremost faller bar, such as the uppermost rearward corner, moves rearwardly as it slides downwardly along the inclining face of the next adjacent following bar. As the control pins 45 of the faller bars it are arranged vertically, see Fig, 5, the pins of the second faller bar move forwardly with respect to the pins on the foremost faller bar, which is moving downwardly, whereby the two sets of pins move toward each other adjacent the drawing 01f rollers i9 and 20. It will be understood that the return guides 52 are of a width slightly greater than the width of the faller bars to permit ejection of the foremost faller bar as it moves forwardly and downwardly during the forward movement of the next following faller bar. Of course, as the faller bar proceeds downwardly, the set of pins disengages the stock. This drawing together of the two forward sets of pins produces a reduction in the pitch at a point which is nearest the nip of the drawing-off rollers and produces an increased degree of control at the very point which is most important, i. e., near the nip of the drawing-off rollers. I am thus enabled to obtain results which compare favorably with the results obtained from the use of intersecting boxes on stock for which intersecting boxes are used for the purpose of reducing the pitch. Rotation of the ejecting means 4| and 42 with the recesses iii in engagement with projections 41 will not entirely remove the faller bars from alignment with the series which are in fiber controlling position, and I have provided projections B2 of substantial radial length to engage the tops of the faller bars successively to complete this operation. The rapid movement of the faller bars may tend to produce jamming caused by backlash if the faller bars are not confined to the return guide. For this reason the projections 62 are made of substantial length and effectively prevent this difficulty.

The length and width of the return guides 52 and 54 are made so that a definite number of faller bars will fill the guides in order that the tops of the two faller bars at the ends of the guides will be substantially flush with the wear plates 56. This condition eliminates lost motion between the faller bars being ejected and the last ejected faller bar and thereby prevents wear and noise, as well as results in the faller bars successively serving as guides and supports for the newly injected faller bars until they are definitely in engagement with the wear plates and the extension guide 5'],

The faller bars and pins may be formed of any material or combination of materials commonly used in the art. According to my improvements, I may provide faller bars including the pins, molded or otherwise formed from plastic compositions, and thus reduce the cost and weight of the unit. If desired, metal pins may be secured to the body of the faller after or during the formation and solidification of the plastic.

Operation The device is relatively simple in operation. The foremost faller bar in working position is located as close to the nip of the drawing-off rolls as possible. The bank of active faller bars and those in the return guide completely fill the unit, it being understood that the space between the pairs of draft rolls provides for the simultaneous ejection and injection of faller bars.

As the faller bars successively approach the end of their working movment and the vertical upstanding pins are penetrating and controlling the untwisted stock, they engage the pair of leaf springs 55 and 58 fixed to the frame inwardly of the pair of ejecting elements. Pivotal movement of the fallers is thus controlled as the recesses and projections of the ejection means successively engage the sidewise extensions and top of the faller bars to completely disalign the engaded faller from the series immediately after it leaves the wear plates and positions it flush or just below the wear plates. The ejection being downwardly and rearwardly draws the two sets of forward vertical pins nearest the nip closer together. The faller is subjected to three directional components, i. e., the continuous forward push of the cam, the downward thrust of the ejecting means and a rearward movement because of the inclination.

Ejection of the foremost faller moves each faller in the return guides and introduces a faller into working position at the rear of the active series of faller bars. The timing of the pushing cams and of the confining portions of the ejecting elements permits this as the faller moves upwardly so that its sidewise projections 41 engage the propulsion cams and the incoming fallers forward face engages the back of the last progressing faller, which is subject to the pushing action of the propulsion cams with the result that there is no interruption in the forward advance of the working fallers.

Having fully described my invention in a preferred embodiment, I claim:

1. In a gill drafting device, a plurality of faller bars arranged in series for continuous movement one following another, said faller bars having their adjacent sides parallel and inclined forwardly in the direction of their movement through a working stroke, means for traversing the faller bars through a working stroke, and means for ejecting the faller bars at the end of their working stroke by sliding them in a plane parallel to their inclined sides.

2. In a gill drafting device, a plurality of faller bars arranged in series for continuous movement one following another, said faller bars having their pins arranged vertically and their adja- ,7

cent sides parallel and inclined forwardly in the direction of their movement through a working stroke, means for traversing the faller bars through a working stroke, and means for ejecting the faller bars at the end of their working stroke by sliding them in a plane parallel to their forwardly inclined sides whereby the pins of a following faller bar advance toward the pins of the foremost faller bar during the ejection of the latter.

3. In a gill drafting device, a plurality of faller bars arranged in series for continuous movement one following another, said faller bars having end portions in contacting engagement and said end portions having their top and bottom faces horizontal and their contacting sides inclined forwardly in the direction of their movement through a working stroke, means for actuating the rearmost faller bar to advance the whole series of bars through their working stroke, and means for ejecting the faller bars at the end of their working stroke by sliding them in a plane parallel to their forwardly inclined sides.

4. In a gill drafting device, a plurality of faller bars arranged in series for continuous movement one following another, said faller bars having extensions at their opposite ends, means for advancing the faller bars through a working stroke, and rotary ejecting means having substantially radial slots therein for receiving the extensions of the faller bars adjacent the end of their forward stroke and operative to eject the faller bars.

5. In a gill drafting device, a plurality of faller bars arranged in series for continuous movement one following another, said faller bars having reduced extensions at their opposite ends, means for advancing the faller bars through a working stroke, and rotary disks having substantially radial slots in their peripheries for receiving the reduced extensions of the faller bars adjacent the end of their working stroke, said rotary disks having radial projections spaced from the slots whereby the faller bars are first actuated by the engagement of their reduced extensions with the slots in the rotating disks and thereafter actuated by the engagement of the projections on said rotary disks therewith to eject the faller bars at the end of their working stroke.

6. In a gill drafting device, a plurality of faller bars arranged in series for continuous movement one following another, said faller bars having their adjacent sides parallel and inclined forwardly in the direction of their movement through a working stroke with extensions at their opposite ends, means for actuating the rearmost faller bar to cause the whole series to move through their working stroke by the contacting engagement of adjacent faller bars, rotary means having slots therein for receiving the extensions of the faller bars at the end of their forward stroke to eject the latter by sliding them in a plane parallel to their inclined sides, and means for guiding the faller bars through a return stroke.

7. In a gill drafting device, a plurality of faller bars arranged in contacting engagement in series, said faller bars having extensions at their ends, a cam shaft, a cam on said cam shaft for receiving the faller bars in series and traversing the contacting faller bars by pushing, and an ejecting and confining means on the cam shaft, said ejecting and confining means comprising rotary members having substantially radial slots in their peripheries for receiving the reduced extensions at the ends of the faller bars, and said ejecting and confining means being synchronized with the cam and cooperating with the cam to confine the faller bars and to eject the foremost faller bar and simultaneously present a faller bar to the cam.

8. In a gill drafting device, a plurality of faller bars arranged in series for continuous movement one following another, said faller bars having their adjacent sides parallel and inclined forwardly in the direction of their movement through a working stroke with extensions at their opposite ends, a helical cam for engaging the extensions of the rearmcst faller bar to cause the whole series of bars to be moved through a working stroke by the contacting engagement of adjacent faller bars, rotary means having slots therein for receiving the extensions of the faller bars adjacent the end of their working stroke said rotary means having radial projections spaced from the slots whereby the faller bars are ejected by the rotary means by sliding them in a plane parallel to their forwardly inclined sides to cause the pins on the following faller bar to advance toward the pins 01' the foremost faller bar during ejection of the latter, and means for guiding the ejected faller ,bars through a return stroke.

9. In a gill drafting device, a plurality of faller bars arranged in series in contacting engagement for continuous movement one following another helical cams for engaging the ends of the rear: most faller bar to advance the whole series of bars, rotary ejecting means having substantially radial slots therein for receiving the ends of the faller bars adjacent the completion of their forward stroke and operative to eject the faller bars, a return guide extending from the forward end to the rearward end of the series of faller bars and through which the faller bars slide, said return guide having a curved portion adapted to contain a series of faller bars in contacting engagement therein with straight end portions parallel to the sides of the faller bars during their movement through a working stroke whereby the ejection of one faller bar into the return guide forces a faller bar from the opposite end of the guide into position to be engaged by the helical cams for advancing the faller bars.

10. In a gill drafting device, a plurality of faller bars arranged in series in contacting en gagement for continuous movement one following another, said faller bars having their contacting sides inclined forwardly in the direction of their movement through a working stroke, helical cams for actuating the rearmost faller bar to advance the whole series of bars, means for eject ing the faller bars adjacent the end of their working stroke by sliding them in a plane parallel to their inclined sides, and return guides extending from the forward end to the rearward end of the series of faller bars and through which the faller bars slide, said return guides having a curved portion for containing a series of faller bars in contacting engagement therein with straight portions parallel to the inclined sides of the faller bars during their movement through a working stroke whereby the ejection of one faller bar into the return guides forces a faller bar from the opposite end of the guides into position to be engaged by the helical cams for advancing the faller bars.

11. A faller bar to be used in series in a gill drawing machine comprising parallel inclined bearing surfaces for engagement with adjoining faller bars, and additional top and bottom surfaces which form a substantial parallelogram with the inclined surfaces, the angle which the inclined surfaces make with the top and bottom surfaces being such that when the faller bar is in working position a vertical straight line will pass through the intersection of the rearward inclined surface and the top surface and the intersection of the forward inclined surface and the bottom surface.

WILLIE HOLDSWORTH. 

